Three people were injured in a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of U.S. 30 and State Road 23 that happened just after 7 a.m. Thursday.

Starke County police say heavy damage was sustained to a passenger vehicle and an SUV when emergency responders arrived at the scene. The driver of the SUV was on the ground outside of her vehicle when responders attended to her. She was transported to the hospital for treatment.

The driver and passenger inside the passenger vehicle were extricated by firefighters from the Koontz Lake and Hamlet Fire Departments. The pair sustained serious injuries and were transported by Starke County medics to the hospital. Police say a helicopter was dispatched to the scene, but could not fly due to the weather.

According to the Starke County Sheriff’s Office, details of the accident remain under investigation. The names of those involved have not been released pending the investigation.

The eastbound lanes of U.S. 30 were closed to traffic for approximately 45 minutes.

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Two Knox residents were arrested Monday, after a battery report allegedly led to the discovery of methamphetamine. Starke County Police say that around 2:45 Monday afternoon, they got a 911 call from a woman who said she’d been battered by her boyfriend while they were driving on Toto Road.

When police were able to catch up to the vehicle on 300 East, the woman was reportedly bleeding from her face. She told the deputy that an argument with her boyfriend became violent.

Police arrested the boyfriend, Donald Fletcher, 49, and called Starke County EMS to help with the woman’s injuries. While speaking to her, the deputy reportedly noticed signs of impairment pointing to amphetamine use.

Officers say she agreed to a search, and the deputy found that she had two baggies of a white powdery substance, which tested positive for methamphetamine. The woman, identified as Kaylee Patterson, 21, was then arrested.

Police say the couple’s 18-month-old child was also in the vehicle and was placed in the custody of Child Protective Services.

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The police officers involved in the shooting death of William R. Newman last December will not be facing criminal charges.

Starke County Prosecutor Nick Bourff says his office has gone through all the reports sent in by the Starke County Sheriff’s Department, Knox Police Department, and Indiana State Police, as well as the autopsy report. After reviewing all that information, as well as the relevant statutes and case law, Bourff says he’s decided not to file any criminal charges.

The shooting happened on December 21, 2016 at Bailey’s Furniture on U.S. 35 south of Knox. The officers were trying to serve Newman with an arrest warrant, when he allegedly drove a pickup truck through a closed garage door, struck a Starke County Sheriff’s patrol car, and tried to run over another officer while attempting to flee.

Officers then fired their weapons, hitting the truck and Newman, who was the sole occupant. He was taken to Starke Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

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Starke County first responders had an emergency of their own after running out of Narcan to assist in five apparent heroin overdose cases in a six-hour span on Saturday.

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According to the Starke County Sheriff’s Office, a heroin overdose was called into the dispatch center on Saturday at 9:20 a.m. Two men were found after responders had to breach a door in order to get inside to tend to them. One was found unconscious on the floor and another on a bed inside the home in the 400 E. block of 200 S. Starke County medics were able to revive the man on the floor using heroin antidote, Narcan.

Officers with the Knox City Police Department, Starke County Sheriff’s Office and Starke County EMS were called out later that afternoon where two men and a juvenile female apparently overdosed on heroin. Police say CPR was administered and Narcan was used to revive the overdose victims.

Starke Hospital employees also had two separate cases of heroin overdoses reported in the Emergency Room, according to the report.

Starke County medics were sent to La Porte County to retrieve another eight doses of Narcan in order to have it ready for any additional calls.

Starke County Sheriff Bill Dulin said several arrests were made following these calls. The incidents remain under investigation.

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Porter-Starke Services, the local not-for-profit community mental health center, has a mission to enhance the quality of life in our community through prevention, treatment, education and research. The organization presents the Service to Community Mental Health Award to individuals in the area who are contributing to that mission.

The Starke County Sheriff’s Office recently won the award for their work with inmates. Sheriff Bill Dulin described receiving the recognition as a huge testament to the hard work the jail and Starke County Staff does on a daily basis that sometimes goes unnoticed.

The Sheriff shared that the Starke County Jail provides inmates with substance abuse and mental health treatment. They also have the chance to work in various programs that assist the inmates with addiction recovery while also providing them skills to become productive members of society once they are released into the community. Some of these unique opportunities include the inmate road crew and the garden and nurturing fathers programs.

According to Dulin, since the program was started a year ago, 116 inmates have completed the intensive rehabilitation and only six have re-offended. Dulled added, “That is proof we cannot arrest our way out of this drug cycle as the only solution but we have to treat the addiction to beat this problem as a county, state and nation face.”

As National Recovery Month comes to a close today, it’s important to acknowledge efforts in place that are making a difference within the community.

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Starke County residents can get rid of their unused prescription drugs this week at the Starke County Justice Center. The Sheriff’s Office is hosting a drug take-back event today through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Pills will be accepted free of charge with no questions asked. Needles will not be accepted, though.

Sheriff’s Office officials say turning in expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs can go along way in preventing drug abuse and accidental overdoses. They add that many of the drugs that are abused are obtained from family and friends.

Turning in unused prescription pills also avoids the safety and health hazards that come with flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash.

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A Starke County man was taken into custody Saturday after Knox City Police officers received a tip on his location.

According to Knox City Police Chief Harold Smith, officers went to a home in the 400 block of W. Lewis Drive in Knox after confirming that James Watts had several outstanding warrants in Starke County and Marshall County.

Police say Watts fled to the back of the home when officers initially made contact with him. Starke County Sheriff’s K9 Zardoz was deployed into the residence. In a search of the home, K9 Zardoz located Watts who was reportedly hiding in a crawl space. According to police, Watts initially attempted to fight with the K9 and was bitten. Watts was then placed into custody.

Watts received medical care in the emergency room at Starke Hospital and was then taken to the Starke County Jail.

Watts, 39, was wanted on two felony warrants and three misdemeanor warrants. He also faces a preliminary charge of resisting law enforcement.

The Knox City Police Department was assisted by the Starke County Sheriff’s Office, North Judson Police Department and Starke County EMS.

Starke County Sheriff Bill Dulin said Watts was identified as a suspect who fled from police in an investigation in Grovertown on Aug. 8. Shots were reportedly fired in the incident. Several police agencies assisted in the search for Watts which lasted several hours.

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Three people were arrested on drug-related charges Saturday morning in Starke County. Around 9:30 a.m., police from the Starke and Marshall county sheriff’s offices say they went to the 11,000 block of 400 North for a wanted person.

When they got there, they reportedly found Sally Mills, 39, of Walkerton and Mystesia Yeager, 26, of Plymouth inside a camper. Both of them had outstanding warrants for their arrests, according to Starke County Police. Officers say a search of the camper turned up methamphetamine, syringes, and paraphernalia.

In addition to four outstanding warrants, Mills faces preliminary charges of Possession of a Syringe and Visiting a Common Nuisance. Meanwhile, Yeager faces preliminary charges of Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of a Syringe, Possession of Paraphernalia, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Visiting a Common Nuisance, along with an outstanding warrant from Michigan.

Police say Philip Shriver, 33, of Plymouth, was also in the camper at the time. He faces preliminary charges of Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of a Syringe, Possession of Paraphernalia, and Visiting a Common Nuisance.

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The North Judson Police Department is already nearing their $20,000 goal for the purchase of a K-9 and subsequent training thanks to a decision made by town council members Monday evening.

Town Marshal Kelly Fisher requested for $15,000 to be encumbered from the general police insurance fund into the K-9 fund to help cover the cost of purchasing a K-9 from the Peru-based company Vohne Liche Kennels. The council members unanimously approved Fisher’s request.

Fisher also acknowledged some local businesses and organizations that are already offering assistance to the NJPD. San Pierre Veterinary Clinic offered to donate annual shots and physicals and Feed Barn is donating all food needed for the K-9.

Ozinga in Knox has offered to donate concrete for the home kennel that will be required at Officer Rico Simpson’s residence and Kankakee Valley Auction in Walkerton is donating the wood for that project.

The Starke County Sheriff’s Office is donating a K-9 police car cage. Simon’s Speed Shop is donating work for fabricating the police car kennel and they’re also donating the printing for the K-9 fundraiser t-shirts.

Additionally, Chief Fisher provided council members with a timeline for the K-9 purchase and training process. She said that on January 30th the home kennel and police car kennel will both be installed. On January 31st, all funds will be evaluated and properly allocated.

On February 20th, K-9 selection will be conducted at Vohne Liche and the dog will be place with Officer Simpson at his home. The final step will the 6 week training course which will start on February 26th.

Approximately $5,000 is still needed to help cover training costs for Officer Simpson and his new K-9 partner. Any additional money raised will be saved for maintenance and any extra expenses that may come up. Individuals can donate by cash or check that can be delivered to the police department or town hall. As long as the donor includes an address, all donations will result in a certificate of appreciation. Any donors who provide over $100 will also received a NJ K-9 Supporter t-shirt.

People can also donate through the online crowd funding website GoFundMe. Click the following link to view the page for the North Judson Police Department K-9 Fundraiser. Any questions can be directed to Town Marshal Fisher via email at njpolicefisher@embarqmail.com or by phone at 574-772-5914.

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Today is officially the first day of winter and as temperatures are expected to dip below freezing in the coming weeks, home owners need to take necessary precautions to avoid frozen pipes.

Knox Water Department Superintendent Todd Gardner has a few helpful tips to help protect homes this winter season. Superintendent Gardner reported that most incidents happen at the beginning of the season since people don’t take these simple steps before cold weather hits.

His first tip is to be sure that all hoses are disconnected and outdoor faucets are turned off. He said even “frost-free” faucets can freeze and break if they’re not disconnected and completely switched off. He also stressed the importance of making sure that crawlspace doors and other openings are securely shut to keep drafts from entering the home and cooling the water pipes.

The superintendent also mentioned that snow can actually act as a good insulator so if it is left over areas where water lines and meter pits are located those pipes will be less likely to freeze. He also advised individuals to avoid driving over areas where meter pits are located as that can cause frost to reach deeper.

Additionally, the superintendent said that it will not be necessary to lightly run faucets until we face extremely cold temperatures.

Gardner encouraged citizens to keep an eye out for any potential problems that could damage city water lines,

“If you happen to notice a lid missing or anything like that, in the winter time we have a lot of boxes that get hit in different areas and meter covers get hit from time to time,” Gardner went on to say, “so if you happen to see one exposed just call City Hall and we can get out and fix it right way”

Gardner said to also contact Knox City Hall if there are any residential water-line emergencies. There is an after-hours automated prompt that will direct you to the water department.

If you’re unable to reach anyone through the after-hours number, Gardner said to contact the Starke County Sheriff’s Office and someone from the water department will be notified and sent out to fix the problem as soon as possible.

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Starke County Sheriff Bill Dulin reports that three male subjects wearing hoodies and masks covering their faces broke into the KP Corner gas station located at 7090 S State Road 10 in Bass Lake on December 21st. According to Sheriff Dulin, the incident occurred around 3:50 a.m. Thursday.

In his report, Sheriff Dulin stated that an older light colored regular cab Ford Pick-up truck, possibly a F-250, backed into the front door of the establishment, causing severe structural damage to the building. The truck sustained damage as well. It was equipped with a snow plow bracket on the front end, a wire partition protecting the rear window and a potentially Weatherguard-brand contractor tool box mounted directly behind the cab, according to the police report.

Dulin’s account indicates that once the men were inside the building, they reportedly attempted to remove an ATM but after realizing the machine was bolted to the ground they climbed back into the truck and fled the scene.

The sheriff’s report concludes saying that the suspect truck was reported stolen out of Porter County and located in LaPorte County. Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call Chief Detective Adam Gray and/or Detective Sergeant Donald Ferguson at 574-772-3771 ext 235 and ext 180.

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Five people were arrested on drug-related charges Tuesday afternoon, after police say they found methamphetamine while serving a warrant in North Judson. Shortly after 3:00, officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Office and North Judson Police Department went to a home in the 300 block of High Street to serve a warrant for failure to appear, according to Sheriff Bill Dulin.

He says officers found the woman they were looking for, along with four other people. A search of the home reportedly turned up methamphetamine, syringes, drug paraphernalia, and marijuana.

Joseph Giselbach, 38, of Ora, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, maintaining a common nuisance, possession of a syringe, possession of paraphernalia, and possession of marijuana.

Spencer Allen, 26, of Winamac, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, visiting a common nuisance, and an arrest warrant from Pulaski County.

Tame Sikes, 38, of Franklin was arrested for visiting a common nuisance, resisting law enforcement, and an arrest warrant from Pulaski County.

Stephanie Rudd, 27, of North Judson was arrested for possession of a syringe and visiting a common nuisance.

Melissa Kellems, 24, of Francesville was arrested for visiting a common nuisance.

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A Michigan City man was arrested Friday evening after reportedly robbing the Marathon Gas Station at 303 W Talmer Avenue in North Judson.

A press release from the North Judson Police Department indicates that the gas station was robbed at approximately 6:15 p.m. on Friday, January 5th. Though officers say they were on the scene in under a minute from being dispatched, the suspect had purportedly fled on foot prior to their arrival.

Officers recount that a nearby Good Samaritan had spotted the suspect running from the scene and followed them approximately a block before the suspect ran through yards a jumped a fence, disappearing into the dark.

As officers secured the scene, another officer was able to follow footprints in the snow approximately ½ a mile to the Oak View Motel, according to the report. It was there that other officers assisted in the apprehension of the alleged suspect Kyren Miller, of Michigan City.

The North Judson Police Department expressed gratitude to Indiana State Police Troopers as well as officers with the Starke County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance.

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The Starke County Community Corrections, in partnership with the Starke County Probation Department and the Starke County Sheriff’s Office, are working to submit a grant request for programs and funding.

Community Corrections Director Robert Hinojosa said this is the ninth year of requesting funding for community corrections and the second year for jail treatment programs and pretrial funding.

Pretial Officer Chuck Phillips said there are no increases in funding for his salary and benefits of $63,000. User fees would be used to cover any increases should they be necessary.

Sheriff Bill Dulin said his portion of the grant application would include funding for the Intensive Outpatient Program facilitated by Porter-Starke Services.

“Our portion of the grant is the IOP programs – the in-custody substance abuse programs,” said Sheriff Dulin. “I’ll give you some round numbers. In the nine months that we’ve had, I believe we’ve had 126 inmates have gone through and nine have been re-arrested. The recidivism rate is right around 15 percent while the national average is 67 percent. This is a huge component of what we do and what we’re trying to do with the heroin problem and the methamphetamine problem. It also addresses our GED program and our Alcoholic Anonymous program.”

The Starke County Sheriff’s Office is asking for $75,763 which is the same amount requested as last year.

Hinojosa said the community corrections program has grown in Starke County. However, they are asking for the same amount for operating costs which is $324,401.

“We are going to continue to target high risk offenders,” commented Hinojosa. “We won’t spend a lot of resources with low risk offenders. Those are people who have pretty much lived a good life and got into trouble. If you kind of leave them alone, they’ll do okay. So you focus on high risk offenders and that’s one of the things that the DOC really liked about our proposal which is why we’ve received funding for years.”

The total amount of funding requested is $463,064.

Hinojosa mentioned that the state recognizes several important factors in that all three entities are working together to reduce redundancy in programs and collaborating for efficiency.

The commissioners voted unanimously to sign a letter of support that will go along with the application. The application will be electronically filed at the end of the month and notification of funds will be announced in March or April. The funds will be available July 1.

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The Starke County Council members cleared up some confusion on county police pay.

The council members approved a $5,000 raise for Starke County police officers for 2018, but they were unsure about the three percent raise that was proposed them in addition to the raise.

Auditor Kay Chaffins explained that the three percent increase is in effect for all employees, but the council had not approved the increase for the patrolman. The council unanimously approved the three percent increase for the patrol officers with the Starke County Sheriff’s Office.

The county has not yet received the budget for 2018.

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A sentencing hearing for a Knox man convicted of child molesting is postponed to Thursday, Feb. 8 at 11 a.m. in Starke Circuit Court.

On Jan. 11, a 12-member jury convicted 37-year-old Jerry Leonard of two counts of child molesting as a Class A Felony and two counts of performing a sexual act in front of a child as a Class D Felony. The jury deliberated for about one hour before returning guilty verdicts.

The charges are in a different classification of felonies as they occurred prior to the change in the Indiana code in July of 2014.

Class A Felonies carry the potential penalty of 20 to 50 years of incarceration and the Class D Felonies carry a potential penalty of six months to three years of incarceration.

Leonard is in the custody of the Starke County Sheriff’s Office as he awaits sentencing.

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Starke County Sheriff Bill Dulin presented the county commissioners with a proposed job description for an employee at the Starke County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff previously explained that he hired Ron Lawson as a part-time jailer but he doesn’t necessarily do the duties of a jailer. He hired him in that position because the wage was at a higher rate. Lawson has 34 years of law enforcement experience and the sheriff believed that Lawson should be paid a higher wage because of his experience.

The Starke County Council members urged Sheriff Dulin to make a job description for the duties that Lawson would be conducting for review by the commissioners.

The commissioners Monday night reviewed the job description of a jail analyst at a rate of pay of no more than $14 an hour. A summary of the duties entail providing the sheriff, administrative staff, detectives, and county executives with information for decision making purposes; develop statistical data and assist in proactive and targeted investigations; interact and communicate with the sheriff and the community on crime analysis and research issues; collect and organize criminal information from all available sources and collect intel to determine crime patterns; and case support.

The jail analyst will not be out on patrol.

The commissioners unanimously approved the job description.

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Seven people were arrested shortly before 3 a.m. CT Wednesday after Starke County dispatchers received a 911 call from a woman yelling for help.

The dispatchers were reportedly unable to get a name or location from the caller. They were able to use tracking systems to trace the phone call and sheriff’s deputies were notified of the address, according to a news release.

Police say officers heard yelling inside the residence upon arrival. They gained entry into the residence reportedly finding drug related items in plain view. A search warrant was later obtained, according to police.

Officers allegedly found several narcotics inside the home and seven people were taken into custody and booked into the Starke County Jail on a variety of drug-related charges.

Police say two people were transported to Starke Hospital in Knox after experiencing overdose symptoms.

Brian Woodard, 24, of Knox, was arrested on preliminary charges of possession of heroin and visiting a common nuisance.

Briana Paulsen, 20, of North Judson, was arrested on preliminary charges of possession of methamphetamine, visiting a common nuisance, possession of paraphernalia and an outstanding felony warrant.

David McKee, 39, of La Porte, was arrested on preliminary charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of heroin, possession of a syringe, maintaining a common nuisance and possession of paraphernalia.

Robin L. Shively, 30, of Knox, was arrested on preliminary charges of possession of methamphetamine, visiting a common nuisance and possession of paraphernalia.

Tammy L. Taylor, 37, was arrested on preliminary charges of possession of methamphetamine, visiting a common nuisance and possession of paraphernalia.

Julie Fulkerson, 32, of Highland, was arrested on preliminary charges of possession of marijuana, possession of paraphernalia and visiting a common nuisance.

Shane Hurt, 33, of North Judson, was arrested on preliminary charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of paraphernalia and visiting a common nuisance.

The Starke County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Knox Police Department and Starke County EMS.

Note:  Any criminal charge is an initial charge, the defendant(s) is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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The Starke County Sheriff’s Office may get a new dispatch program to better suit the needs of the department.

Starke County IT Director Mark Gourley told the commissioners this week that the CAD program, or Computer Aided Dispatch, offered an update in August where some promised features weren’t a part of the update. He said he’s talking more with the vendor about that.

Gourley said he spoke further with Sheriff Bill Dulin and they agree that the level of non-service they get from the current vendor isn’t worth the thousands of dollars a year to maintain the program.

An alternative program is being researched for better service and better acquisition of information needed for specific reports and data for the application of grant funds. The entry system only allows initial text to be included and cannot be edited. For instance, if the dispatch center receives a medical call, but it turns out to be a heroin overdose case, that information in the initial call can’t be changed to include that status update. That type of data is imperative as the county continues to combat the drug problem. Those numbers can be compared to surrounding areas and delivered to agencies who grant funds to assist in drug eradication efforts.

Detective Adam Gray added that when he does his monthly reports, he has to go in and search for cases by hand which takes several hours.

A new program could cost upwards of $150,000, but Sheriff Dulin said it would allow the sheriff’s office to be more efficient and more accurate.

Gourley will be working more with Sheriff Dulin to research programs and costs to present to the commissioners in April.

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Officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Office, Knox City Police Department and Walkerton Police Department are teaming up to combat aggressive driving and impaired driving.

These officers working under the Starke County Traffic Safety Partnership consortium will be setting up sobriety checkpoints around Starke County to deter, detect and arrest drivers who are driving under the influence. Police will man the checkpoints on Saturday, March 17 between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. at undisclosed locations.

Police suggest planning a safe way home before and festivities begin that involve alcohol. Designate a sober driver or call a sober friend to drive you home. If you know someone who is about to drive while impaired, take the keys and make sure that person makes it home safely.

Officers working in this effort will receive overtime compensation from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration through the Governor’s Council on Impaired and Dangerous Driving.

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